The House on Chorus Road
Caroline loved the countryside, and couldn’t resist taking a trip out to Vista Springs, an enchanted countryside with vast fields that lay just beyond the coast. Her trip wouldn’t be alone, however, as she wanted to spend some quality time with her mother who was in her late seventies. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to both relax and enjoy the country, and have that special time with her mom.
Upon arrival to the community where they would stay, the weather was most optimal for birdwatching and walking along the old country roads. There was a particular house, not very far down the road, which they could see looming over a small hill, and appeared to be in a perpetual shadow.
“So strange, isn’t it, Mom?” Caroline noted as they looked down the road at the house that appeared to be large and old, with Victorian vibes, “It’s so dark over there, but not a cloud is in the sky!”
Caroline’s mom, Naomi, nodded in agreement. “That is peculiar, isn’t it?”
They continued on to the house they would be staying at, a small two bedroom house that was fitted for out-of-towners to stay, with the pantries and refrigerator filled with fresh food.
For some reason, neither Caroline or Naomi could stop thinking about the strange house down the road. Even well into the night, it seemed like they both were having dreams about this house calling out to them.
The next day, Caroline asked the person who helped stock and clean the house they stayed at about the old Victorian home down the lane.
“Oh, that place…” Buster, a local who had lived in the area for a long time paused with an ominous look upon his face, “Some say it’s haunted, but I tell ya the truth - I have never gone about that place myself. Oh no, even as a young lad I heard rumors of its hauntings and I dare not tread on its grounds!”
Caroline and Naomi stared in disbelief. How could a house be haunted? They didn’t believe in such nonsense. Caroline, however, was intrigued, and wanted to know more.
“Is there anyone that lives there? Can we go there, or can I go there, anyways?” Caroline asked Buster.
“Well, I s’pose you could walk on over there yerself,” Buster scratched his head and looked at Caroline like he was concerned about her, “But I honestly wouldn’t suggest it, ma’am.”
Naomi looked at the two as they exchanged dialogue, and seemed to be in deep thought.
“I’m going to go walk up there, and just pop in to say hi,” Naomi blurted out suddenly.
Caroline and Buster both exchanged a shocked look and then turned to Naomi and began trying to talk her out of the idea.
“Mom, you’re old and if there is something sketchy about the place, then I don’t want you to go!”
“Don’t worry, Caroline, what’s the worst that could happen anyway? Is there even any evidence that the place is really haunted?”
Buster spoke up, “Actually, to be quite honest, I have never heard anything happening there really.”
“Well, then that settles it. Let’s go, Mom!”
——
That afternoon, when it was cool and sunny, Caroline and Naomi headed up the dirt lane that winded around some pasture where horses and cows grazed. They walked a steady but relaxed pace as they neared the seemingly ancient home that appeared to grow ever darker as they got close.
“So, what exactly are we going to do when we get there?” Naomi asked.
Caroline pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows, and just made a funny sound like she was thinking out loud.
“I guess we’ll figure that out when we get there?”
As they approached the large home on the hill, they looked back momentarily down the road and back at the place they were staying. It looked so distant from where they stood, yet it didn’t seem to have been a far walk.
When they turned back and walked up closer to the house they suddenly realized that someone was in the garden. There was a garden? Funny, they couldn’t recall seeing a garden at the home when they were walking. Yet, there it was, in front of the house was a fenced in garden with rose bushes and herbs growing. But who was tending this garden?
“Do you remember this garden being here before?” Caroline asked her mom.
“No, actually, I could have sworn this was just an empty yard.”
“Hello there, gardener?” Caroline waved and called out to the person they seen in the garden.
Just as soon as the words had left Caroline’s mouth, however, the person was gone. Just vanished in thin air! It took them off guard, and now they were both looking at each other as if to say, “Yes, indeed, I believe this house does have a bit of spook to it!”
Yet, Caroline’s determination wouldn’t be deterred by a disappearing gardener.
They walked up to the porch of the house, it’s old weathered wood looking sad and quite beaten up.
“I’m not so sure this porch will hold us both up at the same time, Mom. Might want to come up after I have already gone in the house - that is if I can get in.”
“Don’t be silly, Caroline, neither of us weigh a ton!”
Caroline made her way up to the door that stood large and mysterious before them. Peculiar, there was a wreath hanging on the door and it seemed to be made of fresh flowers from the garden.
“This is quite intriguing, mom. The flowers on this wreath are alive - I can smell their fragrance!”
Naomi peered at the door from the bottom of the steps and had wide eyes in awe.
“Not bad at flower decor either,” Naomi mentioned, as she admired the very beautiful wreath.
Caroline knocked on the door three times, and waited to see if anyone would answer the door.
Curiously, footsteps could be heard approaching. Next thing, the big door opened, and to their astonishment, a very kind older looking woman (no older than Naomi, however), answered in the most gracious manner.
“Why good day to you, Caroline, we have been expecting you and your guest!”
“Excuse me?” Caroline was very caught off-guard and puzzled.
“Please, come in! We have been waiting so eagerly for your arrival,” the woman said, gesturing for them to come into the home, which from the door looked quite warm and inviting to them.
Caroline turned around to look at her mom, and shrugged her shoulders, then made a nod like it was ok to proceed.
Naomi made her way up the steps and to the door, and smiled at the old woman who greeted her and asked as they stepped in, “Would you like anything to drink? I have some fresh tea, if you’d like.”
They both responded at the same time, “Sure,” and looked at each other as they chuckled.
“My name is Gretel, and I have been living here for quite some time. It’s so wonderful to have you here to visit!”
Caroline and Naomi might have ordinarily been wary of this old woman offering them tea, but for some reason, all cares were cast aside, and they gladly accepted the offer.
“Freshly brewed lemon and honey tea, dears,” the woman said as she handed each woman a cute ceramic tea cup that was decorated with paintings of birds and flowers.
“Thank you,” Caroline said as she took the cup and softly blew on it to help it cool.
Naomi just took the cup straightaway and began to drink carefully in small sips. “Mmm, this is so delicious!”
“It’s made from the lemons in the orchard, and local honey,” Gretel mentioned.
“There’s an orchard too?” Caroline perked up.
"Oh why yes, there's a little bit of everything too!"
"So, on our way in I noticed the garden. There was someone in it; was it a gardener?" Naomi remembered.
Gretel turned and looked a little confused. "You saw someone in the garden?"
Caroline chimed in, "Yes, in fact when we were walking up to the house we didn't notice the garden, but when we did we both saw a man who looked to be tending the garden. I actually called out to him and as soon as I did he seemed to just vanish!"
"Oh dear!" Gretel exclaimed.
Expecting Gretel to shed some light on the matter, Caroline and Naomi leaned forward, but Gretel never said anything more.
"So, do you have a gardener?"
"No, I don't."
"Then who could it have been that we seen?"
"I've no clue," Gretel stated, and then seemed to want to change the subject entirely, as she turned away and began showing the ladies the paintings on the walls, "This was painted long ago."
Caroline and Naomi looked at each other in bewilderment.
Gretel began walking to another room, and there was a beautiful old piano covered in dust from never being played.
"Do you play?" Caroline asked Gretel.
"No, not really."
"Oh, that's too bad." Caroline couldn't help herself, and wiped the dusty keys off with the backside of her sweater. She began to dabble out a little melody. As if some kind of otherworldly communication was being transmitted to her, Caroline couldn't help but feel as though the entire house was pleased and telling her the home wouldn't be haunted if only someone would play the piano!
"That's so odd," Naomi started shortly after Caroline began playing, "I swear something changed about this house as soon as you started playing!"
Gretel perked up and looked around, "Something changed? What changed?"
Naomi looked outside at the garden, and saw the gardener again. "Look! The gardener is back."
Gretel peered outside and just said in a very unamused voice, "Oh, that's funny."
But as soon as Caroline stopped playing, the gardener disappeared again and the old house seemed less inviting. Darkness also seemed to fill the room after Caroline stopped playing the piano, and she determined that must be the key to unlocking the mystery of this old house.
---
The next day Caroline and Naomi spoke to Gretel about possibly living in this old house if she couldn't find others to move in who would fulfill the house's need for a pianist. Gretel thought about it for a bit and decided that she would try to find someone for the house that could bring it back to life, but then, in a sudden recollection of her memories, realized that they were waiting for Caroline after all. So She decided to let Caroline move in and Naomi would as well.
Ever since Caroline moved into the home, and played the piano daily, the house became more bright and the history of it grew more alive. They figured out that the ghost of the man who built the home was the one they seen in the garden, and ever since Caroline played the piano, it cheered the house and the ghost so much that he was always around in some way - just not a creepy or scary way thankfully.
word count: 1862